[Basseterre, St. Kitts] In a packed St. Kitts Marriott Ballroom on Sunday May 20, 2012, hundreds of Labour Party members gathered for their Annual Conference, the annual process via which the Party elects its leaders. And there, in a special statement to the gathering, the incumbent Deputy Party Leader, the Honourable Sam Condor, affirmed to the gathering that he is totally committed to the leadership of the Right Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas and the leadership of the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party.
Similar sentiments were also expressed by the incumbent Chairman Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris, who prior to Mr. Condor’s statement gave support to the Party Leader stating that it was critical in going forward and the Party membership was able to move again with unity and send a strong signal of togetherness committed to the continuing success.
The hundreds of enthusiastic, impassioned Labourites had made clear their impatience with the public displays of disunity that had plagued the Party, from very narrow quarters, in recent months. And they made clear, also, their strong expectation that all members of the Party leadership reflect the sentiments and position of the Party membership that elected them, by demonstrating full and complete support for the leader whom they, the Party, elected – Prime Minister Douglas.
This, the membership asserted, is essential if the Party is to protect and build on the extraordinary legacy for which the Labour is so well known.
Prior to the election of officers at the afternoon session, and reflecting the strong expectations of the energized and focused gathering, the Honorable Sam Condor, Deputy Leader and Deputy Prime Minister, made a special address to the membership, in which he affirmed the wisdom of their demands for unity, and went further to affirm his full and unswerving support for both the leadership of Party Leader and Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Dr. Denzil L. Douglas, as well as the overall leadership of the Party. This statement, which was responded to with loud and enthusiastic cheers, made clear that the wishes of the membership were, at last, being honoured.
Following the expressions of support at the Conference to the National Political Leader, the Hon. Dr. Earl Asim Martin and Mr. Cedric Liburd informed delegates that they were withdrawing their names from nomination for the posts of Deputy Political Leader and Chairman respectively.
The Party has structures through which concerns can be expressed, and their use, Prime Minister Douglas had earlier explained, represents the best means of ensuring that the interests of the Party are served. The Prime Minister and Party Leader made clear his intention to act on the strong mandate provided today by the Conference, to ensure that Party unity remains paramount from this point forward. He also explained that his patience regarding public expressions of disloyalty from some quarters in recent months, and indeed his tolerance of this, could no longer, in good conscience, continue. Today, he said, was, in the minds of all gathered, the beginning of a new and constructive approach, designed and promoted to serve the best interests of Labour.
Celebrating its 80th year of political leadership and service, the Conference ended on an extraordinarily high note – united, focused, and ready for the work ahead – under the enthusiastically supported leadership of The Right Honourable Dr. Denzil L. Douglas.
Labour Party Secretariat
Church Street
Basseterre